Karsten Thot bridge lane closure planned for today

A pedestrian crossed the Karsten Thot Bridge on Monday at the north end of Wahiawa. The bridge is scheduled to be closed for six weeks of repairs.

The southbound lane of Kamehameha Highway at the Karsten Thot Bridge will be closed 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. today for road resurfacing.

Previous repairs on the roadway, which traverses Lake Wilson just mauka of Wahiawa, helped snarl traffic in both directions during several days in September. The issue prompted Gov. Neil Abercrombie to say that the state is “considering options” to replace the Karsten Thot with a new bridge “if that is deemed the best solution.” Costs to build such a replacement bridge are estimated between $10 million and $20 million.

The more than 80-year-old Karsten Thot Bridge is one of only three metal truss bridges in Hawaii and the only one of its kind on Oahu.